Car-coupling



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM P. CLARK, OF ELBERTON, GEORGIA.

CAR=COUPL|NG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 477,168, dated June 14,1892.

Application filed October 1, 1891. Serial No. 407,385. No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM l. CLARK, of Elberton, in the county ofElbert and State of Georgia, have invented a new and ImprovedCar-Coupling, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

My invention relates to improvements in ear couplings; and the object ofmy invention is to produce a simple car-coupling which willautomatically couple with an opposing coupling, which may be operatedfrom the sides of the cars or from a platform if the cars arepassenger-cars, and which is constructed in such a way that in case thecoupling-hook of one coupling breaks the other coupling-hook will holdthe two cars together.

To this end my invention consists in certain features of constructionand combinations of parts, which will be hereinafter described andclaimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar figures of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is an end View of the coupling, showing it applied to a car.Fig. 2 is abroken side elevation, partly in section, of two connectedcouplings. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan of two couplings in the act ofcoupling, and Fig. 4 is a sectional plan of two connected couplings.

The coupling is provided with a draw-head 10, which is substantiallylike the ordinary draw-head, having a flaring mouth 11 and an internalrecess which is elongated or deepened near one side of the coupling, asshown at 12, to provide for the entrance of the hook of the opposingcoupling. Pivoted in the draw-head near one side is a coupling-hook 13,which projects from the mouth of the coupling and is provided with arounded outer end and with a recess 14 in the outer side,which recessforms the hook. The coupling-hook 13 is pivoted on a removable pin 15,and, if necessary, the coupling-hook may be removed and the draw-headmade to receive the link of an ordinary coupling, and to this end thedraw-head is provided with the usual vertical pin-hole 11.

The draw-head is provided on one side (the side opposite that in whichthe link is pivoted) with a horizontally-swinging dog 16, which ispivoted adjacent to its front end, as shown at 17, and which swings in arecess 18 in the draw-head, and in order that the dog may not swing toofar out it has its free end 19 elongated, and this end is adapted tostrike against a shoulder 20 in the recess 18, the shoulder serving tolimit the movementof the dog. The dog is provided on its outer side withparallel ears 21, and extending between these ear is a rod 22, which ishinged to the draw-head and on which is a spiral spring 23, the springserving by pressing against the ears to swing the dog into thedraw-head. If desired, a strong fiat spring may be used as a substitutefor the rod and spiral spring. Pivoted between the outer portions of theears is a link 24, the outer end of which is pivoted to a vertical lever25, which lever is centrally pivoted on an arm 26, which is secured tothe draw-head, and the ends of the lever 25 connect by chains 27 withlevers 28 on opposite sides of the car, so that by pulling upon eitherlever 28 the lever 25 may be tilted and the link 21 and dog 16 drawn outward. The mechanism for movingthe dog, as shown, is adapted forfreightcars; but on passenger-ears one lever 28 will answer, and thismay extend upward above the platform instead of downward from the car,as shown in Fig. l.

The operation of the device is as follows: \Vhen two couplings cometogether, the hook 13 of one will enter the recess in the opposingcoupling and the two hooks will pass each other back to back, as shownin Fig. 3, and the rounded ends of the hooks, striking the dogs 16, willpush the dogs outward until the recesses 14 of the hook come oppositethe free ends of the dogs, and then the dogs will spring back into thedraw-heads and engage the hooks, thus holding the couplings securelytogether.

To uncouple the cars it is necessary that a lever 28 on each ear beoperated at the same time, in order that both dogs 16 may be freed fromengagement with the hooks l3, and it will be seen that if one of thehooks should be broken the other would still hold the two draw-headstogether.

Having thus fully described my invention,

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A car-couplingcomprising a hollow drawhend, a horizontally-swinging hook pivoted inthe draw-head and adapted to project therefrom, and a spring-pressed(log mounted to swing horizontally in the side of the drawhead oppositethe hook, substantially as described.

2. Acar-conpling comprising a hollow drawhead, a horizontally-swinginghook pivoted in one side of the draw-heed and projecting forwardlytherefrom, a spring-pressed dog pivoted to swing horizontally in theopposite side of the draw-head and adapted to engage the hook of anopposing coupling, and a lever mechanism for moving the dog against thespring", substantially as described.

3. A car-conplin g comprising a hollow d rawhead having aforwardly-extending and horizontally-swinging hook pivoted therein, aspring-pressed dog held to swing horizontally in the draw-head, said dogbeing pivoted in the side of the draw-head opposite the hook, it stop tolimit the movement of the dog, and a lcver'mechnnism for moving the (10against its spring, substantially as described.

\VILLIAM P. CLARK. \Vitnesses:

M. M. CARR, W. T. VAN DUZE.

